Archive for category Deborah Lippmann
Polish Comparison Swatches – The Best Kind of Post When You’re Sick
Posted by Latoya in American Apparel, butter London, Chanel, China Glaze, Comparisons, Coral, Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish, Red on April 9, 2013
So yea. I sneezed funny on Sunday and then the next day I was sick with a cold. Has that ever happened to anyone else? I’m being dead serious – it’s like the sneeze dislodged the sickness or something. Ugh. Anyway, I was off work today and pretty much was a slug all day; even looking at the computer screen hurts my eyes. I am weird and don’t take medication when I’m sick (unless it’s that time of the month – then, JACK ME UP BABY) because I feel like it just masks the pain and makes me stay sick for longer. Or I’m a martyr. Either or. At least I know when I get pregnant one day I’ll be totally used to not being able to take meds (but I will not hesitate to get an epidural – eff that). So there’s that.
Anyway, I have photos of two polishes I had done comparison swatches for but never posted them, so here they are. First up is Chanel’s Orange Fizz (which I happen to be wearing this week, and seriously – I LOVE IT SO MUCH you guys should all buy a bottle, it’s good times) which I swatched against all my other orangey-coral polishes (spoiler – there are no dupes that I own, so you should just go buy a bottle of the real stuff):
Left to right: China Glaze Flirty Tankini, LA Colors Magnetic Force, Chanel Orange Fizz, China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys, Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
Thumb: China Glaze Flirty Tankini; Index: Chanel Orange Fizz; Middle: LA Colors Magnetic Force; Ring: China Glaze Surfin’ for Boys; Pinky: Deborah Lippmann Daytripper
You can see that aside from the LA Colors shade, the rest of the polishes are all in the same vein, but Flirty Tankini is less saturated and dries with a flat finish (though probably the closest match); Surfin’ for Boys is more pink and with a pearlesence about it; and Daytripper is more pink. What I love about Orange Fizz is that it’s super-shiny on it’s own, has a squishy quality to it, and is somehow both soft enough for spring but bright enough that it will be awesome in summer too 
The next polish I have to show you is one I recently picked up from American Apparel, called Downtown LA. I was in the store a couple weeks ago buying Neon Violet for a gal at work, since she loved it so much on me, and decided to take advantage of the buy 3 for $18 deal (I also picked up their matte top coat for fun). Downtown LA is a bold red that leans ever so slightly orange. It is exceptionally close to butter London’s Come to Bed Red, though bL’s version really is more of a true red without the orange lean. I can tell the difference between the two but if I didn’t tell you, I’m sure you wouldn’t guess:
butter London Come to Bed Red; American Apparel Downtown LA
Index & ring: butter London Come to Bed Red; middle & pinky: American Apparel Downtown LA
I have a hard time wearing red polish as I find on my skintone it looks a bit garish; however, I wore Downtown LA last week and actually liked it quite a bit. The warmer tone of the polish worked better on me than Come to Bed Red has in the past, and I made sure to cut my nails super-short which made the manicure less in-your-face. I won’t be stocking up on red polishes any time soon but it’s still nice to have a few great ones in your arsenal! I’ll likely pass along my butter London shade – I always hate to part with more high-end brands but I know I’ll never choose it over the AA color. I have to say, I really like AA polishes – they are almost one-coaters and apply so well!
So, I hope this keeps you entertained until I get better! I usually go into repair mode when I’m sick and rarely stay down for long, so I’ll be up and kickin’ by the weekend I’m sure 
What do you do with your nail polish dupes? Do you find red a difficult color to wear?
Quelling a Burning Desire with Deborah Lippmann’s Through the Fire
Posted by Latoya in Comparisons, Deborah Lippmann, Holiday, Holiday 2012, Nail Polish, Red on January 7, 2013
While I was away this fall, something terrible happened – I missed the Chanel fall collection entirely! Thankfully, there wasn’t too much I wanted to try, but I DID desperately want Malice, the gorgeous ruby-hued polish and the only one released with the seasonal launch. As it disappeared from shelves in a snap, I was left to scour the internet trying to find a dupe to the shade. What I came up with that was close (though by no means an exact match, or even that close, unfortunately), was Deborah Lippmann’s Through the Fire.
Through the Fire, a ‘radiant merlot hue’ was released as part of her 2012 Holiday collection (along with Cleopatra in New York). While it doesn’t have the slight berry tinge that Malice appears to have, it still has that inner glow that captivates the eye. Below, this is two coats with Poshe Fast Drying Top Coat.
Apparently, one of the true closer dupes to Malice is OPI’s Royal Rajah Ruby, which if you remember I was iffy about at first, but then found love using it as a pedi shade. Personally I think RRR is too brown-leaning, but it pleases me that I have one of the closest colors to Malice already in my stash.
As for TtF, I pulled RRR plus a couple other shades to see how they all compare – OPI’s Every Month is Oktoberfest, which has been noted by other bloggers as a potential Malice twin (it’s not), and Misa’s Red Pumps at the Nordstrom (which isn’t like Malice at all, nor TtF – but is red and also has that gorgeous radiance about it).
Left to right (artificial light): OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest, OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, Deborah Lippmann Through the Fire, Misa Ruby Pumps at the Nordstrom
Left to right (flash): OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest, OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, Deborah Lippmann Through the Fire, Misa Ruby Pumps at the Nordstrom
Top to Bottom (artificial light): Misa Red Pumps at the Nordstrom, Deborah Lippmann Through the Fire, OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest
Left to right (flash): OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest, OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, Deborah Lippmann Through the Fire, Misa Ruby Pumps at the Nordstrom
Left to right (flash): Misa Red Pumps at the Nordstrom, Deborah Lippmann Through the Fire, OPI Royal Rajah Ruby, OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest
While RRR is in the same vein as TtF, it’s not a dupe and I like TtF much better on my fingernails, as its more feminine with it’s red tones. Though I tend to prefer cremes over other formulations of polish, I gotta say that these types of polishes with a less metallic shimmer and more of an inner fire, are totally up my alley. I could stare at them all day! All four of these polishes captivate my heart in one way or another, and while I don’t feel that my lemming for Malice is fully abated, I’m not totally broken-hearted over it
Did you pick up Malice, or did you miss it too? Are you a fan of shimmer polishes, or other types?
June Lemmings, or: When Being an Adult is Kind Of a Bummer
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Lemmings, MAC, NARS on June 5, 2012
~sigh~ Even though most of my focus is on the condo and any upcoming home-related purchases, a girl’s still got to be frivolous once in a while, and I’ve got my eye on a few sweet products this month. I may not be able to score them all right away, but rest assured – these babies WILL be mine one day soon!
1) Bumble & Bumble Creme de Coco Masque
A couple years ago I was desperate to try this masque with it’s mega-Summery scent, but either the timing was off (I only really want to smell coconutty in the warmer months, and/or if I already had a treatment on the go, I didn’t really need a new one), or I didn’t have justifiable funds to spend the $33CAD on what is a relatively small tube (5oz) of product. I happened to be browsing through Mills last week while I was working the Clinique GWP, and realized that the stars were all aligning, as I’m just running out of my current deep conditioner, and lo and behold, it’s (almost) Summer! Funds aren’t any better than they were before, but hey, two outta three ain’t bad 
2) NARS Casino Bronzer
Also while passing the time while working a shift at Mills, I tried on Casino, a somewhat shimmery bronzer that gives my skin an insanely fabulous glow. I had set up a swap for this back in March, but after waiting months to receive my end, it fell through *long, long, LONG, story there* so I never got my chance. At that time I hadn’t even done more than swatch this product, but now after trying it on my face, I really gotta have this now!
3) Deborah Lippmann Rich Girl Hand and Cuticle Cream SPF25
With the sunshine out and about, I’m all too aware that my skin is being exposed to aging rays, and hands in particular are one of the biggest places on the body that show signs of aging. Deb Lippmann’s hand cream is chock-full of shea butter, avocado and jojoba oil (and it’s clear from the ingredient list!), smells yummy, and has a fairly high SPF to boot. Sign me up, please!
4) Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick, or Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in GD804
Haha, yea, one or the other, right!? I keep reading great reviews about the Shiseido lipstick formula, so I’d love to check them out, but I also love the feel of their eyeshadows, and this particular trio has such an interesting shade combination – like a periwinkle blue, yellow gold, and shimmering khaki. Yowza!!
5) MAC Lip & Cheek Colors from the Casual Colors Collection ~sigh~
Often I am able to resist MAC’s charms, but every so often – usually with blush – I get reeled in. These Casual Color pots for lips and cheeks just look so relaxed and easy to use, how can I resist? Thankfully, many of the shades are too fair for my skin, so only two caught my eye – Out for Fun, a ‘cool coral,’ and Keep It Casual, a ‘warm wine.’ 
I actually only own two cream-based blushes, and since these moonlight as a lippie you get more bang for your buck. I’m planning on checking them out in store on Monday when I’m off, so we’ll see…I had high hopes for the Tres Cheek collection and ended up passing on the whole lot, so it could very well happen again!
I find that my lemmings list is so extensive now that it’s almost hard to come up with just five to write about each month. On top of that, I find that looking back, I’ve only picked up a handful out of all the items I’ve noted, and I really want to make sure I’m showcasing products that I actually hope/plan to purchase. I think the list above is pretty realistic
What are you lemming this month? Any opinions on my lemmings? Any good/bad experiences?
Review: Deborah Lippmann’s Stripper To Go Remover Mitts
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Removers on March 1, 2012
While I LOVE nail polish (as you all well know) and doing regular manicures, one problem I encounter more than I’d like is needing to either touch up a nail or remove my polish completely while on the go – whether it be at work, traveling, or just out and about (I have a habit of doing my nails in random places lol). I can’t stand having chipped nails, and when that happens, I always wish desperately that I had a little remover to just wipe the slate clean – I’d rather have bare nails than chipping ones.
If you have been reading this blog for a while, you may recall that last year I had an opportunity to try out Laqa & Co.’s Polish Remover Pads, which are housed in a cute little container and are perfect for toting around if you need quick removal. However, I found that they were a bit dry and I could see them getting drier as time wears on, if they’re not used. This week, I was given a chance to try out a product that has a similar purpose, but with the kinks fully worked out – Deborah Lippmann’s Stripper to Go Lavender Nail Lacquer Remover Finger Mitts (OMG…that is a mouthful!).
The word ‘mitt’ used in this description is a bit misleading. Waiting for them to arrive, I was imagining a big hand mitt that would somehow have remover in the tips or something. Silly me! What they actually are, are little finger mitts, like a fabric thimble, that you can put on and then proceed to remove the polish from all of your nails – yes, ALL 10 FINGERS. They’re fully saturated with remover, and as they’re housed in little sealed packets, there is no fear of these babies drying out until you open them. Since they come individually packaged, there’s no waste and you can just grab one and go! So handy.
I tried these out tonight to see how they fared in removing my polish. Stupidly, I forgot at first and removed one hand with my regular remover, so I can’t fully claim they will remove polish from all 10 fingernails. However, after removing just one hand, I can see I have plenty of room on the mitt to continue on with the other hand – and I can attest that there is plenty of remover on the mitt to accommodate for both hands.
Initially the ‘lavender’ aspect was kind of lost on me – on the mitt, I can’t really smell it, although the scent isn’t the typical strong, offending odor that removers often have. I read up on it, and discovered that the lavender is supposed to leave ‘a gentle scent on the skin, while protecting the delicate cuticle with its natural anti-bacterial properties.’ Huh. I checked, and I can smell the faintest hint of lavender left behind on my nails, and I did notice that due to the inclusion of aloe vera as well as the lavender, my cuticles and nails were not dry after removal in the least.
There are 6 mitts per box, which retails for $12CAD on Nail Polish Canada, which generously gave me this product to review. While the mitts are terribly handy to tote on the go, I’m also impressed overall with the formula of Lippmann’s remover, and will be giving the full bottle of The Stripper a good look as well. If you’re a regular polish wearer, or just fancy being able to remove your polish whenever and wherever you please, these should be right up your alley!
*Products were sent for my unbiased consideration from the PR company/brand.
Technical Difficulties…
Posted by Latoya in Blue, China Glaze, Deborah Lippmann, Metallic, Nail Polish, Neutral, Pink, Rescue Beauty Lounge on November 23, 2011
So, our wireless internet is frigged – but not on my bf’s computer, just mine! Super annoying. Currently I’m sitting on the floor near the modem with my computer actually plugged IN, as it’s the only way to get online. But DAMN this hallway is chilly so I won’t be hanging out here for long! In the interim, here’s some polish spam for you to keep to busy until I get this whole thing straightened out:
China Glaze 2030. I also swatched Hi-Tek at the same time, but stupidly forgot to take photos, so that’ll be for another time. This one is actually up for swap – its flattering on me but I’m not really into this kind of look. Plus it’s a little annoying to apply as it dries fast and can get patchy easily. Pass!
Yuk. This is an LA Girl polish that I got in a swag bag, but the name is missing (sorry). Anyway, I hate colors like this – SUPER not my style. Though, this polish had one kickass formula – perfectly thin, but opaque in two coats, and with an awesome glossy finish. Too bad about the icky shade (though I’m sure it’d look great on someone!).
I should have titled this post: ‘Polishes I Hate’ because here’s another one that I’m not a fan of (maybe hate’s a strong word…but there is NO love lost). This is Deb Lippmann’s Satin Doll, one created for Mariah Carey. In theory, its quite pretty – its very complimentary to my skin tone, but I am not liking the old Granny shimmer at all. It makes this look really dated, which it very well could be – when did this come out? One of the awesome gals at Mills Brothers gave it to me because I spent an hour arranging the Lippmann polishes just so, one night while I was working at Clinique (hello, OCD!). This’ll go up for swap too like the others I suspect…so sad.
Rescue Beauty’s Piu Mosso. Bah! I’ve had this swatches for ages but just COULD not get the pretty fire-red shimmer to come out and play. And in all truthfulness, it really made this shade kinda disappointing to me. I know ‘secret shimmers’ are all the rage, and I loved me some Chanel Paradoxal, but for some reason this one didn’t translate the same. Maybe because its similar to Zoya’s Cynthia, which has my heart completely, that this seemed to be a dud in comparison. Which is weird because of the awesome shimmer…that you can only see in perfect sunny light. Meh. I’ll likely hang on to it for a while, then move on.
That’s all for now, I’ve caught up on almost all my backlogged polish swatches now I hope this gives you a lil something until I can get this ridiculous internet problem solved! My computer must be faulty 
(*Guess it’s time for a new one* heehee)
I hope everyone is well, be back soon!!
Summer Polish Combo: Periwinkle and Hot Pink
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Drugstore Finds, Nail Polish, Summer Polish Combos on July 15, 2011
Hello everyone! I’ve missed posting in a big way, every day I think: “Ohhhh I gotta tend to the blog!!” and feel super guilty, but the move has seriously taken over my life!! It’s been great – the new place is AWESOME – but oh my goodness, its been a task and a half, cleaning and moving all of our stuff in. Yowza. And because we’re renting this house, essentially – half of the basement, and the second and third floors entirely (plus a loft!) – it’s just so much bigger than both of us are used to, in terms of moving into a new space. We’re used to one bedroom apartments that are on the small scale and require a little swipe here and there with a washcloth, not large rooms which need to have the walls cleaned because the last tenant smoked and they’re yellow and with a lingering foul odor. So.
Enough excuses, I’ll give you what you came for – pretty stuff Today I’m showing you one polish you haven’t seen – LA Girl Hyper, a hot pink with a coral leaning – and one you have, Deb Lippmann’s I Know What Boys Like. But c’mon, that polish is so fab, I’m sure you don’t mind seeing it again And it made for a pretty swell combo!
Without further adieu (excuse the mega-dry cuticles, this was a rush job done when I had a moment to spare this week!):
LA Girl polishes retail for $2.99 – awesome! Unfortunately, my crappy camera can’t capture the insane brightness of this polish – it’s majorly bright, bordering on neon. This is two coats for each polish, with base and top coat. For toes, this is actually day 5 so as you can see the wear is pretty darn good. Fingers, this is day 3…but of course, we expect Lippmann to rock our world, right?
…and now, back to cleaning! :S
What do you think of neon-like polishes like ‘Hyper’? Too much? Just right? Have you tried any of LA Girls’ polishes?
I promise to be back in full effect next week!! I have a LOT to catch up on and chat about!
Deborah Lippmann: Nefertiti
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish on June 8, 2011
Meh. That’s all I have to say about this polish. See for yourself:
Cuticles are ragged, I know. I can conceal their sorry state some of the time, but I am so bored with this polish I couldn’t even be bothered. I feel like I should put this one up for swap, but because it’s a Lippmann I’m hesitant to. There isn’t anything wrong with it at all (aside from the snooze color) – it applies easily and beautifully in two thin coats, wears well, blah blah blah. But ohhhhh so dull to me. Gold just isn’t my thing I guess! I thought this one was different because of the gold and silver flecks – which actually are captured in the photo, to my delight – but really, I still am not a fan.
What are your thoughts? Am I being to hard on the shade??
Happy Hump Day!
~Trumpets~ Presenting: Deborah Lippmann ‘Across the Universe’
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish on May 26, 2011
Oh yeah, baby doll. FINALLY. The moment we’ve all been waiting for…LMAO! Sadly, this polish has been out for AGES and I am so behind the times, but you know what? I don’t even care, because it’s all mine now!!! And I’m pleased as punch about that. And since you’re here reading this, you’re gonna get to experience the joy like it was the first time all over again
Now. This polish as you know is quite sheer. When I first bought it, I was so excited to try it on that I did so without a base color, which is absolutely necessary. Three coats with no base – really not so great. You just don’t get enough depth of color to really showcase it properly. I applied base coat, then one coat of Essence ‘My Boyfriend’s Jeans’ which is a deep royal blue bordering on teal. Quite pretty on its own actually. Then I applied three coats of ATU to make sure the shimmer/glitter sequins were dense enough to my liking. One coat of top coat was used in the photos but I’m considering adding another to make it really smooth.
I took these photos with my new camcorder which I got for free from work because of a project my team worked on (oh, the government). They’re somewhat grainy-ish but I wanted to try it out and while they’re not the best quality, the different colored glitter in the polish looks really apparent. The last pic I did with my regular camera which highlights the shimmer better.
I have to say, when I first put it on…I wasn’t as impressed as I’d hoped. I felt it was hyped up too much, by myself as well as everyone else. But in about 5 minutes, I was totally smitten. It’s just such an interesting polish that really catches the eye with the sequins and the different shades and dimensions. I can’t imagine this looking bad on anyone, its dark enough to suit every skintone but clearly not black. Utterly fabulous, and entirely worthy of being my birthday mani.
So, what do you think? For those who have it: did I do it justice? And for those who don’t: what are you waiting for? Get out there and buy this sucker before it really is too late!!
Thanks for reading!!
Oh Yeah: Deborah Lippmann ‘I Know What Boys Like’
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish on May 20, 2011
This post will be short and sweet. I hate to tell you that you will have to wait until next week to see the unveiling of ‘Across the Universe’…I plan on wearing it for my birthday weekend so I’ll post pictures then. In the meantime, feast your eyes – IKWBL is also a pretty blue number:
In real life this shade is slightly darker and more periwinkle than it looks in the photos. It’s really a unique shade. I think it would flatter cooler skin tones as well as warmer ones like mine.
This is two coats (though I think I will use three next time), with SH Age Correct Base Coat (which is what I always use) and S.Vite top coat. Funny how I went from never wearing top coats to loving it – Seche will just to that to you I guess! Application was easy, though the consistency was a touch thicker than I would have liked. Went on very smoothly though with no issues.
I’m sorely tempted to pick up the other shades in Deborah’s Summer collection, but I will refrain for now. In the meantime, this will tide me over!
What other shades are you hoping to pick up for the Summer season? Give me some ideas! 
Lemming: Fulfilled!
Posted by Latoya in Deborah Lippmann, Nail Polish on May 17, 2011
For the past couple months, I have been counting the days ’till my trip to Toronto…we’re headed up for what will likely be one of the most fabulous bachelorette parties I will ever be on. However, I have to be honest – another strong contender for my excitement is the fact that I’ll have access to so many brands we just don’t have here in the good ol’ East Coast. Chantecaille, Giorgio Armani…ohh man, it’s going to be another crazy shopping spree, with a whole lot more damage than was done in Maine.
One of my most eagerly anticipated purchases has also been one of my biggest lemmings for almost the past year. I have tried securing this item from multiple sources on MUA, only to be rebuffed. I have endured anxiety over the possibility of this item being long gone by the time I get my chance. This has been probably the most frustrating, enduring lemming I’ve had since I gave in to my serious obsession with cosmetics.
Today, that lemming became a mere memory.
I happened to stop in to Mills Brothers for a quick visit and chat with the ladies there – I like to call them my ‘second family’ 
While chatting, I happened to mention to the Bobbi Brown SA extraordinaire, Sandra, that FRED. salon also carried Lippmann polishes. To my complete surprise, she casually told me that there were *gasp* new shades in stock. *Note: The last time I spoke to someone at Mills regarding Lippmann polishes, they told me that they had little intention to re-stock them, and as such I’ve sort of forgotten they exist, as they shades available at that time were of no interest to me. As I nearly ran for the display, trembling with anticipation, I was overwhelmed to find that almost ALL of the recent shades – such as Boom Boom Pow, Ruby Red Slippers, Waking Up in Vegas, as well as the entire Spring/Summer line – were on the shelves, sparkling beautifully. And none more so than my ever-elusive ‘Across the Universe.’
Oh yes, my friends. I have FINALLY secured the one polish I have been yearning for without relief. No more will I have to annoy you with my repetitive mentions of how ‘this polish will be mine.’ I don’t have to gaze enviously at the swatches and wish, and wish, and wish. It’s MINE now. My precious.
…Ok, enough with the crazy. But seriously, yee-frickin’-ha that I finally got my greedy hands on this!!! It’s about damn time.
As much as I’m so terribly excited to wear ATU, I am still very much loving my ‘Snog’ mani, so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for the unveiling. Also of note, I picked up ‘I Know What Boys Like’ for good measure – what can I say, I love my blue polishes *FYI, at Mills, ATU retails for $22 and ‘Boys’ for $20*
So, after that mega-ramble, tell me: What lemmings are plaguing your mind? What’s on your list that you’re just dying to get your hands on??? Do tell!!
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